Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Developer pitches 159‑unit mixed project at Jarvis Avenue site; council seeks park space and stronger affordable‑market sequencing
Summary
Buchanan Street Partners and development advisers proposed 159 units at 88100 Jarvis Avenue (74 townhomes and an 85‑unit affordable apartment building). Council members welcomed the high affordable percentage but raised concerns about on‑site open space, timing and linkage between market‑rate and affordable components and potential loss of R&D/office land.
An ownership group representing Buchanan Street Partners presented a concept on June 23 to redevelop a six‑acre parcel at 88100 Jarvis Avenue with a mixed project of 159 units: 74 market‑rate townhomes and an 85‑unit on‑site affordable apartment building. The site is currently zoned business technology park and designated special industrial in the general plan, so the concept would require a general‑plan amendment and rezoning.
Jason Lob and architect Jessica Musk (KTGY) described a layout with three‑story townhomes fronting neighborhood streets and a podium apartment building with structured parking facing Jarvis; the design envisions shared amenities and a courtyard for the affordable building. Lob said market conditions have reduced demand for office/life‑science uses at the site and that the ownership has invested previously in conversion attempts.
Council members welcomed the significant affordable component—applicants estimated about 53% of units would be deed‑restricted affordable—but asked for clearer details on unit mix (one, two and three‑bedroom distributions), on‑site open space and play areas for children, and how the affordable component would be financed and guaranteed to be delivered on schedule. Staff and applicants said developers often structure agreements so market‑rate sales and occupancy are conditional on affordable delivery; applicants signaled willingness to negotiate sequencing and to coordinate with affordable developers and the city.
Several council members urged more public amenity space, noting the proposal currently shows a courtyard and minimal park area for a project of that size, and recommended exploring podium strategies and underground stormwater systems to enlarge surface recreational space. Vice Mayor Jorgens noted the project could help meet the city's RHNA (regional housing needs allocation) targets by adding both for‑sale and rental units.
Why it matters: The Jarvis concept could add a large block of new housing and a substantial affordable component at a location near jobs, but it raises the policy choice of converting commercial/R&D land to housing in a city that seeks both employment growth and housing production.
What comes next: Staff will take council feedback to the applicant; any formal proposal would follow the entitlement and environmental review processes and include detailed affordable‑housing financing and sequencing plans.
